How is the Government shutdown affecting brewers in Connecticut and around the country?

Workers from the Alcohol and Tobacco and Trade Bureau – the office that approves new beer labels – have been closed since the partial shutdown went into place about three weeks ago. What it means it that, a brewer planning to get that new Summer ale or fall IPA on the shelves won’t likely get the approval to do so as things stand now. Curt Cameron, the owner of the Thomas Hooker Brewery in Bloomfield and the former president of the Connecticut Brewers Guild said, “If I have beer ready to go to market and I’m ready to print labels I can’t do that right now because I can’t get that label approved.”

Cameron, who makes close to 20 varieties of beer in his Bloomfield brewery said he and fellow beer makers all over the country will have to exercise some patience moving forward. “We’re just going to wait and when this is all taken care of we will put that beer on the market.”

On Friday, Senator Richard Blumenthal is expected to visit Thomas Hooker Brewery for a roundtable discussion to hear concerns about the current issue from brewers across the state.